Railroad-track cleaner or flanger.



No. 685,425. Patented Oct. 29.19701.

E. J. MARTIN &. B. ,F. EMERSON.

RAILROAD TRACK CLEANER 0R FLANGER.

(Application filed m. 26, 1901.

(No Model.)

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL J. MARTIN, OF MADISON LAKE, AND BENJAMIN F. EMERSON, OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA.

RAILROAD-TRACK CLEANER OR FLANGER;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 685,425, dated October 29, 1901. Application tiled March 2a, 1961. Serial No. 52am. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMIL J. MARTIN, residing at Madison Lake, in the county of Blue Earth, and BENJAMIN F. EMERSON, residing at Rochester, in the county of Olmsted, State of Minnesota, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Track Cleaners or Flangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in track-cleaners of that type which areusually designated as flangers, the object of this invention being to provide a cheap, simple, and elfective means for attaching the plows or flangers to a hand-car so that they may be raised or lowered and when in either position will be limited as to their movement by reason of the plow-carrying frame engaging or abutting against the means used for attaching the carrying frame to the projecting end of the hand-car, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the aocompanyingdrawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand-car which is of ordinary construction, our improvements being shown applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the plow-carrying frame or rock-shaft detached, and Fig. 3 is a detail View.

Hand-cars of ordinary construction are usually provided with longitudinal side beams which project on each side of the car beyond its platform to provide handles for lifting the car 01f of the track, and to such projecting ends or handles a we attach clips b b, which serve to retain in place plates 0, which are shaped to provide loops or journals through which passes a rock shaft B, said journals being positioned adjacent to the rear clip I).

To the center of the platform of the car, near its edge, there is secured a lever-support d, to which is pivotally attachedalever 0, having two or more perforations, so that the throw of the same may be changed, and in line with said lever there is secured a loop or bail d, which when placed in engagement with the end of the lever will hold the plows out of an operative position or raised above the tracks.

The rock-shaft or plow-carrying frame B is hand grasping portion a of the car.

provided adjacent to each end with curved members B, having branches e and e, which are connected to the transverse shaft, and between these branches the loops of the plates 0 engage the rock-shaftB. To the lower ends of the members B are attached, in any suitable manner, plows E E, shaped to ride over the tread of the rails and to depend below the tread on the innerside, so as to remove the snow when the plows are lowered and the hand-car is operated. The rock-shaftB has a forwardly-projecting arm 13*, which is connectedto the lever O by a bar or link f, and

the ends of the rock-shaft are bent upwardly and inwardly, so that the terminal portions B will lieover the handles a of the car between the clips 12?), which clips limit the rocking movement of the shaft.

The device shown and described can be readily attached to a hand-car in a few moments without in any way changing its construction, and the clips or attaching means serve as stops which limit the movement either upward or downward of the plows by engagement of the terminal portions B there with, thus avoiding any mutilation of the ver 0 can be operated by foot when desired.

If desirable, the plows or flangers may be connected to the forward end of the truck, and when so attached a longer lever will be used to efiect the throw of the rock-shaft.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a track-danger, the combination with a hand-car having projecting side bars, of a rock-shaft connected to the ends of the side bars by clips, the rock-shaft having inwardlyprojecting ends which overlie the ends of the side bars to limit the movement of the rockshaft by engagement with the clips substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a track-flanger, the combination with a hand-car having side beams which project beyond the platform of the car, a lever attached centrally to the end of the platform, clips attached to the projecting ends of the side bars to hold thereon plates having journals for a rock shaft or plowsupporting The leframe, of a rock-shaft or plow-supporting In testimony whereof we have herennto set frame having depending members, plows at our hands in presence of two subscribing Wittached to said depending members, a fornesses.

weirdly-projecting arm and inwardly-project- I EMIL J. MARTIN. 5 ing end portions which overlie the ends of BENJAMIN F. EMERSON.

the side beams of the car and engage the Witnesses as to Emil J. Martin:

clips so that the clips will limit the rocking C. D. GEDDEs,

movement of the plow-carrying frame, and a WM. DURRIN.

link connecting the forward end of the arm \Vitnesses as to Benjamin F. lmcrson: I0 to the lever on the platform, substantially as GEO. W. GRANGER,

shown and for the purpose set forth. ARTHUR J. SISSON. 

